Appian's History of Rome: The Hannibalic War §§56-61

Appian of
Alexandria (c.95-c.165) is the author of a Roman History and
one of the most underestimated of all Greek historians. Although only his
books on the Roman Civil Wars survive in their entirety, large parts of
other books have also come down to us. Although his account of the War
against Hannibal contains not much information that can not be found
in other sources (Polybius
of Megalopolis and Livy),
it is fortunately well-preserved and certainly accessible.

The translation was made by Horace White; footnotes
and additions in green
by Jona Lendering.

[§56] [205] During
the same time [consul
Publius Licinius] Crassus detached Consentia, a large town of Bruttium,
and six others, from Hannibal.
As certain direful prodigies sent by Jupiter had appeared in Rome, the
decemviri, having consulted the Sibylline books, said that something would
soon fall from heaven at Pessinus in Phrygia (where the mother of the gods
is worshipped by the Phrygians), which ought to be brought to Rome.

Not long after, the news came that it had fallen and the image of the
goddess was brought to Rome, and still to this day they keep holy to the
mother of the gods the day that it arrived. It is said that the ship which
bore it stuck in the mud of the river Tiber, and could by no means be moved
until the soothsayers proclaimed that it would follow only when drawn by
a woman who had never committed adultery.

Claudia Quintia, who was under accusation of that crime but not yet
tried (being suspected of it on account of fast living), vehemently called
the gods to witness her innocence, and fastened her girdle to the ship,
whereupon the goddess followed. Thus Claudia acquired the greatest fame
in place of her previous bad reputation.

[206]
But before this affair of Claudia
the Romans had been admonished by the Sibylline books to send their best
man to bring the image from Phrygia. [Publius Cornelius]
Scipio Nasica, son of Gnaeus [Cornelius] Scipio,
who had been general in Spain and had lost his life there, and cousin of
Scipio Africanus the elder, was judged to be their best man. In this way
was the goddess brought to Rome by the best of their men and women.

[§57][205]
When
the Carthaginians
were continually beaten by Scipio in Africa, those of the Bruttians who
heard of it revolted from Hannibal, some of them slaying their garrisons
and others expelling them. Those who were not able to do either of these
things sent messengers to Rome secretly to explain the necessity under
which they had acted and to declare their good will.

Hannibal came with his army to Petelia, which was not now occupied by
the Petelians, as he had expelled them and given the town to the Bruttians.
He accused the latter of sending an embassy to Rome. When they denied it
he pretended to believe them, but in order, as he said, that there might
be no ground for suspicion, he delivered their principal citizens over
to the Numidians, who were ordered to guard each one of them separately.
He also disarmed the people, armed the slaves, and stationed them as guards
over the city. He did the same to the other cities that he visited. He
removed 3,000 citizens of Thurii, who were particularly friendly to the
Carthaginians, and 500 others from the country, but gave the goods of the
remainder as spoils to his soldiers. Leaving a strong garrison in the city
he settled these 3,500 people at Croton, which he found to be well situated
for his operations and where he established his magazines and his headquarters
against the other towns.

[§58][203] When
the Carthaginians summoned him to hasten to the aid of his own country,
which was in danger from Scipio, and sent Hasdrubal, their admiral, to
him that there might be no delay, he lamented the perfidious and ungrateful
conduct of the Carthaginians toward their generals, of which he had had
long experience. Moreover, he had apprehensions for himself touching the
cause of this great war, which had been begun by himself in Spain.

Nevertheless, he recognized the necessity of obeying, and accordingly
he built a fleet, for which Italy supplied abundant timber. Despising the
cities still allied to him now as foreigners, he resolved to plunder them
all, and thus, by enriching his army, render himself secure against his
calumniators in Carthage.

But being ashamed of such a breach of faith, he sent Hasdrubal, the
admiral, about, on pretense of inspecting the garrisons. The latter, as
he entered each city, ordered the inhabitants to take what things they
and their slaves could carry, and move away. Then he plundered the rest.
Some of them, learning of these proceedings before Hasdrubal came, attacked
the garrisons, overcoming them in some places and being overcome by them
in others. Indiscriminate slaughter, accompanied by the violation of wives
and the abduction of virgins, and all the horrors that usually take place
when cities are captured, ensued.

[§59] Hannibal himself, knowing that the
Italians in his army were extremely well-drilled soldiers, sought to persuade
them by lavish promises to accompany him to Africa. Those of them who had
been guilty of crimes against their own countries willingly expatriated
themselves and followed him. Those who had committed no such wrong hesitated.
Collecting together those who had decided to remain, as though he wished
to say something to them, or to reward them for their services, or to give
them some command as to the future, he surrounded them with his army unexpectedly,
and directed his soldiers to choose from among them such as they would
like to have for slaves. Some made their selections accordingly. Others
were ashamed to reduce their comrades in so many engagements to servitude.
All the rest Hannibal put to death with darts in order that the Romans
might not avail themselves of such a splendid body of men. With them he
slaughtered also about 4,000 horses and a large number of pack animals,
which he was not able to transport to Africa.

[§60] Thereupon he embarked his army and
waited for a wind, having left a few garrisons on the land. These the Petalians
and other Italians set upon, slew some of them, and then ran away. Hannibal
passed over to Africa, having devastated Italy for sixteen successive years,
and inflicted countless evils upon the inhabitants, and reduced Rome several
times to the last extremity, and treated his own subjects and allies with
contumely as enemies. For, just as he had made use of them for a time,
not from any good will but from necessity, so now that they could be of
no further service to him he scorned them and considered them enemies.

[§61] When Hannibal had departed from
Italy the Senate
pardoned all the Italian peoples who had sided with him, and voted a general
amnesty except as to the Bruttians, who remained most zealous for him to
the end. From these they took away a considerable part of their land, also
their arms, if there were any that Hannibal had not taken. They were also
forbidden to be enrolled in the military forces thereafter, as being no
longer free persons, and they were required to attend as servants upon
the consuls and praetors
who went about inspecting the affairs of government and the public works
of the provinces. Such was the end of Hannibal's invasion of Italy.